RIA Commander Finished (Now Tactical) - The Firearms Forum

jstanfield103 · 10-20-2012, 09:17 AM

I bought the RIA Commander because I was hooked and still am on the 1911 platform but I wanted the smaller size to carry. Taurus, Remington did not make the commander size. I held the RIA once when I bought my Taurus PT1911, but bought the Taurus over the RIA. When I was looking for the Commander size I read and read and watched everything on the RIA that I could. Very very few complaints if any, the sights were the biggest complaint. I was not going to buy one but I walked into my LGS and there set a brand new Commander on the shelf. Bought it right up. I Loved the feel of the pistol but did not care for two things, sights and the fact that it did not have a flush magazine. After reading on how to change the sights and a couple of YouTube videos I order some sights from Fusion (http://www.fusionfirearms.com/servle...ite-dot/Detail). I also ordered a Magwell Mainspring housing (but in blued http://www.fusionfirearms.com/servle...nspring/Detail) Replaced the trigger with a short trigger one that I took off my Remington R1. and Fusion commander size MagWell grips. The only problem I had was the Fusion Magwell the mainspring part was a little long and I had to fit it, but it works very well now ( it would not let the grip safety move ). I then used Perma Blue from Wal-Mart on the big roll mark on the slide to blue it out (thanks to every body that I read their posts on sights and the bluing idea for the roll marks on this site. It's an awesome place here ). Well here is the final product of witch I am very happy. I just wish the front sight was dove tailed instead of staked.
Let me know what you think, for me the sights are a let better for my 50 year old eye's to pick up, even in an emergancy situation you probably will barely use them.

jedwil · 10-20-2012, 09:43 AM

Very nice..........

firefighter1635 · 10-20-2012, 11:56 AM

Sweet pistola you got there!

jstanfield103 · 10-21-2012, 06:59 AM

Thanks guy's like it a lot

45silverback · 10-21-2012, 12:09 PM

Nice gun, but in the interest of accuracy, that is actually an "Officers's Model" length gun. The Commander size has a full length grip frame and a 4.25" barrel.

I believe that little beauty has a 3" bull barrel.

Basically you have:
- Full Size or Govt. Model. Full length grip frame and 5" barrel.
- Commander lenght. Full length grip frame and 4.25" Barrel
- Officers Model length. Grip frame shortened (6 rnd Mag v. 7/8 rnd Mag) and a 3" bull Barrel.

There are a couple of manufacturers who have guns with Officers lenght barrels and full length grip frames... Dan Wesson is one such manufacturer I think.

Martimus · 10-21-2012, 12:46 PM

Nice lookin Pistol!

jstanfield103 · 10-21-2012, 04:50 PM

45Silverback I should have said compact model but you get reading so much and alot of people over on the RIA forums call it a compact/ officers so I just messed up when I said Officers model. It does have the Bull barrel so it is a 3.5" compact.

10-20-2012, 09:17 AM	#1
jstanfield103 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 81	RIA Commander Finished (Now Tactical) I bought the RIA Commander because I was hooked and still am on the 1911 platform but I wanted the smaller size to carry. Taurus, Remington did not make the commander size. I held the RIA once when I bought my Taurus PT1911, but bought the Taurus over the RIA. When I was looking for the Commander size I read and read and watched everything on the RIA that I could. Very very few complaints if any, the sights were the biggest complaint. I was not going to buy one but I walked into my LGS and there set a brand new Commander on the shelf. Bought it right up. I Loved the feel of the pistol but did not care for two things, sights and the fact that it did not have a flush magazine. After reading on how to change the sights and a couple of YouTube videos I order some sights from Fusion (http://www.fusionfirearms.com/servle...ite-dot/Detail). I also ordered a Magwell Mainspring housing (but in blued http://www.fusionfirearms.com/servle...nspring/Detail) Replaced the trigger with a short trigger one that I took off my Remington R1. and Fusion commander size MagWell grips. The only problem I had was the Fusion Magwell the mainspring part was a little long and I had to fit it, but it works very well now ( it would not let the grip safety move ). I then used Perma Blue from Wal-Mart on the big roll mark on the slide to blue it out (thanks to every body that I read their posts on sights and the bluing idea for the roll marks on this site. It's an awesome place here ). Well here is the final product of witch I am very happy. I just wish the front sight was dove tailed instead of staked. Let me know what you think, for me the sights are a let better for my 50 year old eye's to pick up, even in an emergancy situation you probably will barely use them. __________________ S&W 645 S&W BG380 S&W Model 41 S&W Shield 9mm Dan Wesson 15-2 8" 357mag(Canadian Made) Savage Mark II (also Canadian made) 1964 Marlin 39A Golden Mountie NAA Pug Taurus PT1911SS ( Brazilian Made) -->

10-20-2012, 09:43 AM	#2
jedwil Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Hill Country Contributor Posts: 1,931	Re: RIA Commander Finished (Now Tactical) Very nice.......... __________________ "Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." -- John F. Kennedy

10-20-2012, 11:56 AM	#3
firefighter1635 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: US of A Contributor Posts: 1,837	Re: RIA Commander Finished (Now Tactical) Sweet pistola you got there!

10-21-2012, 06:59 AM	#4
jstanfield103 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 81	Re: RIA Commander Finished (Now Tactical) Thanks guy's like it a lot __________________ S&W 645 S&W BG380 S&W Model 41 S&W Shield 9mm Dan Wesson 15-2 8" 357mag(Canadian Made) Savage Mark II (also Canadian made) 1964 Marlin 39A Golden Mountie NAA Pug Taurus PT1911SS ( Brazilian Made)

10-21-2012, 12:09 PM	#5
45silverback V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 153	Re: RIA Commander Finished (Now Tactical) Nice gun, but in the interest of accuracy, that is actually an "Officers's Model" length gun. The Commander size has a full length grip frame and a 4.25" barrel. I believe that little beauty has a 3" bull barrel. Basically you have: - Full Size or Govt. Model. Full length grip frame and 5" barrel. - Commander lenght. Full length grip frame and 4.25" Barrel - Officers Model length. Grip frame shortened (6 rnd Mag v. 7/8 rnd Mag) and a 3" bull Barrel. There are a couple of manufacturers who have guns with Officers lenght barrels and full length grip frames... Dan Wesson is one such manufacturer I think. __________________ VR, Harry MSgt USAF (RET)

10-21-2012, 12:46 PM	#6
Martimus Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: 'neath a Cactus Posts: 13	Re: RIA Commander Finished (Now Tactical) Nice lookin Pistol! __________________ "If the left side of your brain controls the right side of your body, and the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body, then left-handed people must be the only ones in their right minds." ~ W.C. Fields

10-21-2012, 04:50 PM	#7
jstanfield103 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 81	Re: RIA Commander Finished (Now Tactical) 45Silverback I should have said compact model but you get reading so much and alot of people over on the RIA forums call it a compact/ officers so I just messed up when I said Officers model. It does have the Bull barrel so it is a 3.5" compact. __________________ S&W 645 S&W BG380 S&W Model 41 S&W Shield 9mm Dan Wesson 15-2 8" 357mag(Canadian Made) Savage Mark II (also Canadian made) 1964 Marlin 39A Golden Mountie NAA Pug Taurus PT1911SS ( Brazilian Made)